Uplifting
by Liv of life
Summary: Queen Gwen and Merlin are caught in a broken down elevator/lift. It's been a while since they've just been together as friends and Gwen realises she's missed something very important about Merlin... Enjoy!


Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Lift is the UK word for Elevator, Mobile phone is UK for cell phone

Enjoy!

A strange clunk and grinding noise preceded a sharp drop. Gwen cried out as she lurched, landing half on Merlin's chest as he stumbled back against the lift wall. A sudden jolt and they stopped. The lights went out. Gwen froze where she was her back resting against a solid warmth, hyper aware of her loud breathing and thumping heart. The lights flickered briefly before settling on a low orange emergency light.

"Are you alright?"

Merlin's concerned voice spoke over her head. Gwen realised he was holding her steadily against him as he remained leaning against the wall. She laughed sharply and peered up at him.

"I think if you weren't holding on to me I'd slither onto the floor."

His familiar quirky grin shot down at her.

"Really? I'm pretty sure you're the one holding me up your majesty.

Gwen smiled back

"I was wondering what that clacking noise was. Your knees again?

Merlin huffed as he helped the Queen right herself.

"Let me try the emergency intercom."

"May I borrow your mobile phone? I'll try and call Arthur." Merlin shrugged and handed it to her

"I don't like your chances, there's rarely signal in these things."

While Merlin spoke to the operator Gwen tried to send Arthur a message but Merlin was right, there was no signal. She was disappointed she'd been looking forward to speaking to her husband. Merlin straightened up from where he'd been talking "Good news, we're not between floors. Bad news is it's probably going to be an hour or two before they get us out safely."

Gwen sighed. "Fantastic."

Time slows when you're trapped in a lift. They tried playing tic tac toe and hangman on Merlin's phone, they tried to remember all of the words to the third verse of the national anthem, at one point Merlin had facetiously suggested playing eye spy.

"I spy, something beginning with W."

"Wall."

"Yes!"

"I spy something beginning with W'

"Wall."

"Yep."

"I spy something beg-"

"Wall."

"Wow. That's impressive."

Eventually they'd slumped against said wall of the lift, looking at the doors, willing them to open in the pukey orange of the emergency lighting.

Merlin shifted slightly after 10 minutes of silence. "The colour orange is supposed to make people feel aggressive."

"So is red."

"And red wine."

"And wind."

Merlin smirked, "What kind of wind?"

Gwen bit back a laugh and hit him on the arm "Honestly! You're seriously immature you know that?"

He shrugged, "I dunno… I know which one would make me feel more aggressive trapped in a small room."

"Hm. I suppose you have a quasi point."

"You mean a queasy point."

Gwen laughed and leaned against Merlin's shoulder.

"I'm the Queen Merlin. I should not be laughing at fart jokes." Merlin shot her a sly look.

"I think that makes you an excellent Queen. The people like you. You have the 'common' touch."

"OY!" Gwen thumped Merlin hard in the stomach, making his breath rush out in an 'oof' "Watch who you're calling common!"

They giggled together for a moment. Gwen sighed and twined her fingers through his, resting her head on his shoulder and not caring if the hair that had taken an hour to do this morning was messed up. "I've missed this."

"What?"

"This. Us. We used to spend time together. You're the only person I could ever be silly with. Now I'm always being Queeny when you're around."

"Queeny."

"I'm the Queen. I can make up words."

"Yes milady." There was a definite tease in Merlin's voice. Gwen sat up straight, yanked her hand back and shoved a foreboding finger in her friend's face. The alarm in his eyes would have been comical if Gwen hadn't decided she wanted him that way.

"Actually that's another point! What's with all this majesty and lady rubbish?"

"Um-" The finger jabbed ferociously closer. He tried to escape backwards but there was a wall in the way.

"We're trapped in a lift Merlin! There's no-one else here. I know you know my name."

"I- yes."

"So use it!" She glared furiously at him when he opened his mouth to speak. He stopped and looked at her cautiously for a moment before meekly deferring

"Yes Gwen."

"Hmph. That's better." She thumped back against the wall with her arms crossed and glared at the still very much closed doors.

Merlin peered carefully across at her, went to say something and then decided against it, closing his eyes instead and resting the back of his head against the wall.

Gwen fidgeted with the jewelled bracelet on her wrist and huffed again.

"Does it really upset you?"

Gwen looked up, Merlin had cracked his eyes slightly to look at the floor "What?"

"That I- you know- majesty and such?"

"Well… not upset so much."

Merlin leaned towards her, opening his eyes fully and earnestly "You know I only do it because I respect you?"

"You don't have to respect me just because I'm the Queen!"

"Gwen." Merlin shook his head. "I respected you long before you were Queen. If it had been appropriate I'd have been miladying you when you were a servant."

Gwen sniffed, secretly touched. "Now who's making up words. Besides, that would have been silly."

"It would have sounded it yes. Now it doesn't so I do."

Gwen's mouth turned down slightly, "I just miss my friend."

"I will always be your friend Gwen. As long as you will have me. And if you want more time for fart jokes I'll make sure you have time."

Tears unexpectedly hit Gwen in the back of the throat and eyes. "You're an idiot."

Merlin smiled and gently took her hands "I know. But that doesn't change the fact that I hold you in the highest esteem not only as my Queen but as my friend and I have always felt privileged and honoured by your friendship. You are kind, courageous and bring great optimism with you. It gives me great pleasure to use your titles. They are the manifestation of everything I have hoped and worked for, for you."

Gwen held back a shuddering breath and looked at this very singular, peculiar man that had such faith in her. "When you say things like that I don't understand how you're still single."

A boisterous laugh followed by a mischievous grin lightened Merlin's face. "You're joking right? I don't have time for a girl. I'm already married to you and Arthur."

Gwen snorted as he continued: "Well, without the perks." A genuine cackled of delight burst from Gwen, "I should hope not!" They regarded one another warmly for a moment before a strange thought hit Gwen. "Merlin… please don't take this the wrong way but… have you had sex?"

"Oh my god."

"Seriously!"

"Seriously? Oh my god."

"Well you just said-"

"God. Just- no. Stop. You don't need to be in a relationship to have sex."

Gwen couldn't help laughing at the flustered look on Merlin's face.

"So you have one night stands?"

"I'm not talking to you about my sex life."

"Why? Is it embarrassing?"

"No! Yes! Just- I don't know."

"I bet you have women throwing themselves at you." Gwen fluttered her eyelashes and put on a tizzy voice "Oh Merlin! Take me!'"

"OH MY GOD! GWEN!"

She latched onto his hands, stopping him from his attempted escape at standing and cackled.

"Tell me! I want to know!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"No!"

"How about if I just ask yes or no questions. Come on Merlin, it's boring in here indulge me. I promise not to tell Arthur."

The askance look she received wasn't promising so she pulled out the unstoppable force that was her puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

"Argh."

"Please Merlin."

He sighed and pulled his hands from her. "Fine. I reserve the right to veto."

"Yes!" She grinned wickedly at him. "So, one night stands? Yes or no?"

"Yes."

"This year?"

"Yes."

"Last six months?"

"Yes."

Gwen bit back a grin "Last month?"

"… Yes."

"Last week?"

"… veto."

"You have! Who did you sleep with in the last week?"

"That's not a yes or no question."

"Hmph." Gwen regarded Merlin thoughtfully. "Did you like her? Or him?"

"She was alright."

Gwen frowned. "Have you liked any of them?"

"Some of them yeah."

"Only some? What about the rest? Do you sleep with people you don't like?"

Merlin shrugged.

"Merlin." He glanced at her "You sleep with people you don't like?" He shrugged again.

"Do you have one night stands frequently?"

"Define frequently."

"Once a month."

"Yes."

"With people you don't necessarily like."

"This is boring."

"This is important."

Merlin laughed "My tacky sex life is important?"

"You're not tacky." He grinned at her "No, I'm just a tart."

Gwen frowned at him. "How do you decide who you want to sleep with?"

"I dunno. I don't usually. They ask- or don't. And I say yes."

"And that's it? You just sleep with them?"

"Look Gwen, it's not really relationship material, I'm not using them I swear. They just- I'm Arthur's personal servant you know? Mostly they're using me- it's alright, I promise I don't treat them badly."

Gwen stared at Merlin horrified. "You're letting people use you?"

"What? No! It's, you know- I have fun most of the time."

"Most of the time?!"

"God- that's not- alright it sounds bad but. Look it's companionship yeah? I dunno. Let's change the subject."

"Don't you want something more than people using you?"

"Gwen." Merlin looked at her incredulously and waved his hand "I'm not. Look at me. God. I'm me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know!"

"No. What does that mean?"

"I don't know! I'm not much of anything. I'm me."

Gwen stared at Merlin in the dismal orange light of the lift. He was possibly her best friend, he was kind and strong and wise, and she'd had no idea just how little he thought of himself.

Merlin sighed in frustration "This is a stupid conversation Gwen." He shoved himself up and edged to an adjacent wall of the lift, away from her.

"What did Gaius think of it?"

Merlin scuffed his shoe on the floor.

"I didn't. Not when Gaius was around."

When Gaius had died Merlin had struggled dreadfully. Gwen remembered the worry and fear she'd had for the state of her friend at the time. Eventually he'd found his way to the other side, but it was always as though some part of him had died with his mentor.

"So only after he died."

"Do you think they'll have the lift going soon?"

Gwen paused. "I'm not sure." Merlin's shoulders relaxed a little. Gwen looked at Merlin. Properly. For the first time perhaps since she'd discovered he had magic. Back then he had been nervous but proud, bolstered by the comforting presence of Gaius at his side, his shifting feet and twitching hands had stilled the moment Gaius had pulled him into a one armed hug and told her and Arthur just how remarkable their servant was. His shoulders were slumped now, his body collapsed somehow, bereft of any support from within or without. With a horrible jolt, worse than when the lift had dropped Gwen realised something awful. She hadn't hugged Merlin in years. He was right, Merlin didn't really have time for close relationships beyond the ones he had with her and Arthur. They'd been so busy rebuilding the kingdom and establishing peace, they'd all made sacrifices. Gwen had always had Arthur though. Someone to turn to when she was sad or exhausted, someone to go to for comfort and Arthur had her. Who did Merlin have? A series of one night stands. Gaining comfort from the anonymous connectionless brush of bodies against his. Gwen felt sick.

"Are you alright?"

Gwen caught Merlin's bright eyes studying her.

"Yes."

"You don't look too good." Her lovely, lonely friend moved to crouch in front of her and held a hand to her face to look in her eyes "Perhaps you should put your head between your legs."

Clasping his hand fiercely to her cheek she turned her face and kissed his palm. Startled blue eyes met hers.

"Gwen."

Reaching a hand out to his shoulder, she tugged him to his knees as she raised to her own "Merlin." And she pulled him into a hug. His arms automatically went around her, responding to her need.

"Gwen, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"Oh Merlin." She drew back slightly so she could look at him, holding his concerned face in both her hands.

"Arthur and I… We both love you dearly. I don't think you realise that do you?"

Merlin's cheekbones flushed and the tips of his ears burned. Gwen leaned forward and kissed him chastely on the lips before pulling him into another hug, saving him from responding.

"I think, when you're organising my timetable for fart jokes you should schedule some hug time in too please."

Merlin laughed "Yes milady."

Ten minutes later the lift doors opened and the King himself stood waiting for them behind the servicemen.

"Arthur!"

Merlin grinned as Arthur enveloped his wife in an embrace, catching a mumbled "Was worried about you."

Gwen pulled back and smiled "Silly. Though I do think Merlin deserves a hug."

Merlin looked amused and Arthur horrified by the thought.

"I made him answer so many nosy questions! He's been so patient and lovely."

Merlin snorted "I don't need a prat hug."

Arthur frowned at the younger man "Excuse me?"

Merlin looked at him innocently "You're excused?"

"Prat hug? I'll give you prat hug!"

Merlin tried to escape but Arthur was well practiced in catching his wayward manservant so it wasn't long before he was stuck in a headlock, being painfully noogied. "Ow!"

"Do you need a prat hug?"

"Ow! No!"

"I said do you need a prat hug?"

"Ow! Yes yes! Ow! Yes!"

Arthur smiled smugly and stopped noogying. "That's more like it." He offered his free arm to his wife

"Come on Gwen."

"Um, Sire?"

"Yes Merlin?"

"Could you- are you going to let go?"

"I'll think about it."

Gwen smiled, pleased, and took Arthur's arm.

The King was happy as he walked down the corridor. He had his two favourite people with him, his wife smiling and holding one arm and his best friend struggling and trapped under the other.


End file.
